As the cost of medicine increases, adults are taking their health into their own hands. Adding Strength Training to your lifestyle is an effective way to decrease reliance on expensive healthcare. The growth of evidence-based Strength Training Programs has led health agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the World Health Organization, to recommend Strength Training as part of a healthy lifestyle.[1]
Despite interest in Strength Training, the average workout leaves a lot to be desired. Many things can and do go wrong along the way. Fortunately, there's a simple way to improve the safety and effectiveness of your workouts. Slowing down your repetition speed (the rate at which you lift and lower the weight) makes your workouts safer and more effective. In the 1940s, when modern Strength Training was in its' infancy, no one talked about repetition speed. At that time, getting health professionals to recognize the benefits of Strength Training was a challenge. As the acceptance of Strength Training grew, scientists began experimenting with different training protocols.
It wasn't until the 1970s that repetition speed gained fitness professionals' attention; the late Arthur Jones, founder of Nautilus Sports Medical Industries, is credited with advancing this movement. In the early '80s, a research project at the University of Florida Medical School increased interest in repetition speed. The Nautilus Osteoporosis Project led to the first standardized training protocol addressing repetition speed (i.e., Protocol for Super Slow Training).[2] Today, thousands of fitness professionals use this training protocol, or a version of it, to help clients reach their fitness goals. Slow Strength Training works because it safely overloads the muscular system.
A 2010 review published in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise found that Strength Training Programs utilizing a progressive overload approach produced significant health improvements.[3] Sports medicine organizations, including the American College of Sports Medicine, recommend progressive overload to optimize health and fitness gains. The secret sauce with slow Strength Training is the decrease in momentum. Decreasing momentum increases muscle tension and intensity. Increasing intensity is beneficial because it increases the magnitude of the training response. According to William Evans, Professor of Medicine at Duke University Medical Center, an exercise's intensity is the most critical factor influencing training results. [4] In other words, the harder you work, the more you get.
Slow Strength Training is also beneficial because it allows you to stimulate your muscles without exposing your joints to dangerous forces. The risk of injury also decreases due to decreases in training volume. A higher training volume (i.e., four to five workouts per week versus two workouts per week) is consistently associated with increased injury rates. In the end, preventing injuries contributes to long-term health by increasing training consistency. The proven track record of slow Strength Training has led health agencies to recommend it. In their Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends performing the lifting and lowering portion of each exercise in a controlled manner.[5] As logical as this sounds, it's not what happens in most strength workouts.
While any decrease in repetition speed can be beneficial, here are some guidelines. When training on conventional strength machines, a five by five-speed works well: lifting the weight in five seconds and lowering the weight in five seconds. However, going slower than five by five can provide additional benefits. [6]
The MEDFITNESS Workout utilizes a ten-by-ten speed to maximize safety and effectiveness. The best way to apply ten-by ten-speed to your workout is to use the MEDFITNESS Clock. This customized clock helps keep you slow as you fatigue! To get the most out of your MEDFITNESS Workout, begin every exercise on an even number (i.e., 2, 4, 6, etc.). At MEDFITNESS, we call this beginning on time! Given the natural tendency to speed up as you fatigue, this practice keeps repetitions slow, thereby maximizing benefits.
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Stay Strong,
Richard J. Wolff, RDN
References
1. World Health Organization 2020 Guidelines on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior. https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/54/24/1451
2. Hutchins, K. 1992. Super Slow Technical Manual
3. Weights Help Seniors Stay Independent Longer, Athletic Business Newswire, Tuesday, February 01, 2011
4. Nutrition and Exercise Workshop. William J. Evans, Ph.D., FACSM, Adjunct Professor of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center. 2012 Rush University, Chicago, IL.
5. Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription. American College of Sports Medicine., Seventh Edition, 2006.
6. Effects of Regular and Slow Speed Resistance Training on Muscle Strength. W. L. Westcott et al., J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2001 June.